Relationship Status – Dating Smart, Saves Your Heart Unpack Notes

Big Idea

In this week’s message, Pastor Tracy Boyd continued our Relationship Status series by discussing how we can fulfill our purpose in our relationships, both in dating and in marriage, by approaching our dating season God’s way. Over the years, the world has transformed dating into a season where we simply get to have fun, focus on our needs and enjoy the pleasures of life. Dating has become a time of recreation, rather than purpose. God’s desire for our dating season is to be one of intentionality. Dating is a time for us to look at dating as a way to get to know the other’s soul and discover whether or not those we date can help fulfill God’s purpose for both our lives.

We begin to see if the one we are dating is marriage material by:

• Discovering his/her devotion
• Discovering his/her values
• Communicating our expecations
• Communicating our fears

We keep ourselves safe in dating by:

• Setting boundaries
• Setting a curfew
• Defining what’s a “no go for touch”
• Establishing accountability

Discussion Questions

• How have you viewed dating in the past? Have you looked at it more as a recreational or intentional season of your life? How has the way you view dating influenced your present and past relationships?
• What are ways you can discover the devotion and values of someone you are dating? If you are married, how can you continue to discover the devotion and values of your spouse? How can you align your devotion and values with someone you are in a relationship with?
• What does it mean to you to walk in a relationship that brings glory to God? In what ways can you make sure your relationship is bringing glory to God? How can you discover whether or not the person you are dating can help you fulfill your purpose and vice versa?
• How does setting boundaries help you date according to God’s purpose? What boundaries have you struggled keeping in the past? What can you do to help keep those boundaries in future relationships?
• Why is communicating important for us to have healthy relationships? How can we communicate our expectations and fears to those we are with?
• If you are married, how can you continue to date? Why is it important to continue dating your spouse?

Important Verses

Proverbs 9:12-18, Proverbs 4:23, 1 Corinthians 10:31, Philippians 2:13